Prominent Ear Surgery

Having ears that stick out too far, is a common source of teasing and can lead to low self-esteem in both children and adults. Some people try to hide their ears with long hair or wear hats, avoiding hairstyles that expose their ears. Otoplasty (also called prominent ear surgery or ear pinning) is a surgical procedure, used to improve the appearance of ears that stick out too far or are abnormal in their shape and appearance. Mr Ghattaura specialises in this surgery - he aims to create a natural shape to your ear, achieving balance and proportion with your face. Mr Ghattaura is also able to correct split/stretched earlobes from earrings and can help patients who have developed a “cauliflower ear”.

What is involved in the procedure?

Since the cartilage gives the ear its shape, Mr Ghattaura first carefully reconstructs this structure, using a variety of techniques. Although, ear-reshaping procedures are often performed in childhood (whilst the cartilage is still soft), many patients see Mr Ghattaura in adulthood. At this stage, the cartilage has become much thicker and is managed in a modified way. Mr Ghattaura will discuss your concerns in clinic and then examine your ears carefully. He will then formulate a plan, customised to your specific ear shape and cartilage thickness. Once you’ve decided that ear correction surgery is the right path for you, he will arrange a date that suits you best. Mr Ghattaura uses a combination of permanent deep stitches to rotate the ear back, closer to the head, as well as cartilage removal/reshaping techniques in adults. The surgery takes about 1-2hrs and is normally performed under local anaesthetic (with you awake). The incisions for ear correction surgery are usually made on the back surface of your ears, so you can’t see anything from the front. This skin opening allows complete access to the cartilage of your ear and Mr Ghattaura can then reshape your ear. Dissolvable stitches are then used to close the incision on the back of your ear and you are normally discharged home the same day. 

Time to recover

Mr Ghattaura will provide you with specific aftercare instructions to ensure ideal results as well as a safe and healthy recovery. After surgery, you need to wear a head bandage for 1 week (day and night) and ideally take the first week off work, or from your normal busy daily activities. At 1 week, you will see the nurse for removal of the head bandage and dressing change. When the dressings are removed, you’ll notice that your ears are still swollen, but the overall contours look much better. As the swelling continues to reduce over 3 months, the shape of your ears will look even more refined. 

Mr Ghattaura’s patients have a really positive reaction to their ear correction surgery, describing increased self-esteem and the ability to finally expose their ears or experiment with different hairstyles!